Portable hearing devices have been very effective in assisting individuals that have impaired hearing and/or comprehension in difficult listening environments to more clearly hear, understand and enjoy auditory signals. Depending upon the type of impairment that an individual may have, or the environment in which the individual may have difficulty hearing, hearing devices may operate more efficiently with some individuals and not as well with others. Many of the problems associated with hearing loss as well as comprehension of audible signals are not well understood. A large number of factors can affect both hearing and comprehension of various types of audible signals. As a result, hearing devices that aid a user in hearing and comprehending audible signals may not be simply dependent upon amplification of the audible signal at specified frequencies.